Because its packed full of proteins, complex carbohydrates, and 56 different minerals and trace elements–including calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, iodine, and magnesium.

(It is especially high in potassium, so tomatoes love it.)

*Seaweed amendments also provide protection against pests, disease, and heat–making a hardier, more resilient plant.

If you live near an ocean, you can harvest the seaweed and apply it directly to your garden as a nutrient rich mulch, or make a seaweed “tea” by filling a glass container with equal parts (rinsed) seaweed and freshwater, sealing it, and leaving it in the sun to brew.

*To reduce the “fishy” smell, add a splash of white vinegar. –Add a few tea-spoons of molasses to stimulate growth of beneficial microrganisms.

Some recommend letting teas sit for several weeks–stirring every two days– applying it after it no longer smells of ammoniom. Others say three days in the sun is enough… I suggest experimenting.

*Because the liquid will be so highly concentrated, you should dilute it at a 1:3 (tea to water) ratio before applying to crops.

Inspect your plants a few days after the first application . –If there are signs of plant burn, dilute the amendment to a greater degree before the next feeding. *Depending on the type of plant and the strength of your mixture, you may want to feed as often as every week, or as little as once a month. –Close observation is the key.

I whipped up my first (2 gallon) batch today–using fresh seaweed which I harvested from the Florida gulf coast. I blended equal parts (rinsed) seaweed and freshwater, and added a splash of vinegar and 5 teaspoons of molasses to each gallon container.

*I’ll let one gallon sit for just a few days before using, and the other for several weeks to determine if there’s any difference in potency.

.Note: *If you’re landlocked, you can substitute fresh seaweed for dried sheets, which can be found at most grocery stores.